42% of Workers Living Paycheck to Paycheck: Survey

Forty-two percent of workers are living paycheck to paycheck, down slightly from the 43% who were in this financial state in 2010, CareerBuilder found in a survey of 5,200 workers. This 42% level is at pre-recession levels, indicating that while incremental, household finances are improving.

Among those earning six figures, only 14% are living paycheck to paycheck, down from 17% in 2010.

Twenty percent of all workers have missed payments on bills in the past year, down from 22% in 2010.

“A better employment picture in the U.S. has brought more steady incomes into households, and workers are paying much closer attention to spending decisions and savings,” said Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources at CareerBuilder. Seventy-two percent said they have become more fiscally responsible since the recession began.

However, some workers are using their savings to get by. Twenty-one percent have reduced their 401(k) contributions, 34% are not contributing to a retirement account at all. Even among those earning six figures, 17% have reduced their 401(k) contributions, and 9% are not contributing anything at all.